Hey everyone, my name is Ben I am a screenwriter and filmmaker from Australia. Feel free to add me to your network. I hope to cast and hire crew for a short film via Stage 32 later this year.
What did everyone get out of 2020 and Stage 32?
2020 gave me time, the time I always said I needed and wanted. (Unfortunately that also meant getting to the jobs I told my wife I would get to when “I had time”). I first joined Stage 32 around 6 years ago and I got absolutely nothing out of it but if I am being totally honest that’s exactly what I put into it. I have talked to many members and they all admit to being guilty of the same thing. If you think about it, when we join any social media platform we add people and build our network. So why don’t we do that here? It wasn’t until I asked myself “what was I doing wrong” that things started to change.
I know 2020 was a crappy year for everyone, my year began in Intensive care for 4 weeks and I almost did not make it out. As you can imagine this gave me some much-needed perspective. I decided to make a change; I finally gave myself permission and set myself a challenge. I wanted to do at least one thing each week towards my goal of screenwriting and filmmaking. I finally let go of the feelings of guilt and selfishness I had come to associate with carving out time for writing (myself). I started with little things at first like listening to an industry podcast to reading a book, to networking, pitching and as shocking as it is, actually writing! I was pitching a TV pilot (via another platform), they loved my pitch, they loved my concept but it wasn’t going any further. Was my mother wrong? Was my writing just… meh? It’s okay she reassured me this couldn’t be the case. After my logline was chosen as one of the weekly winners (Stage 32 logline contest) I decided to invest in myself by taking a couple of writing labs with Spencer Robinson. It’s funny he helped me improve the pilot so much I look back at the original one (which did well in contests) as a piece of shit now. Thanks to Stage 32 (& Spencer) my pilot is market ready and has received some great feedback in different forms.
Advice I wish I could have given myself six years ago:
Don’t wait for a near death experience, give yourself permission, take time, make an investment in yourself and build your network. Don’t be afraid to be honest and admit you don’t know everything. Accept any feedback in the grace it is given and remember the industry pro’s wanted your material to be as good as you think it is. RB and everyone at Stage 32 do a great job, but they can’t do everything!
Now here’s some Kool-Aid, drink up! Wait… Does this taste funny?
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Hey, Ben Patrick Yates! Happy New Year, sir! Aww, see, it sounds like you had a GREAT year! The logline, the lab with Spencer Robinson, and of course you're still here! Congratulations all around!
Man, I just love this inspiring story and message - thank you so much for sharing! Actually, have you considered writing a blog post? If you're interested, you should drop Taylor, our Director of Content, an email: Taylor@stage32.com
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Happy New Year! As a fellow near-death experiencer, I get a lot of what you are saying. Good luck with it all.
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Thanks Christiane Happy New Year to you. Good luck and I hope you're doing well now too
Hi Karen Happy New Year! Thanks heaps, I think it turned out to be a pretty good year all things considered. I'll reach out to Taylor thanks again
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Ben Patrick Yates Yes, thanks, 9 years and counting.
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Waw Ben Patrick Yates that must have been quite a thing to have an experience like that!
I agree with you, that we all have to be creative. I'm glad you got trough it!
That's what I did the first time when I started sculpting about 6 years ago after going on a driveabout through Italy and when I got back I became a sculptress (I wrote a blog about it at the beginning of the year).
Then once again when I helped my partner find his calling about 5 years ago which is filmmaking and I got pulled into it also since I had also wanted to be a filmmaker.
Well we've been at it for a couple of years now and we both love it and try to devote as much time as we can. While trying to make it our primary activity along with my sculpting.
As for 2020 it was not that bad of a year, because I sculpted a lot of sculptures and sold a few, more than other years. We also got a lot of filming done with producing a proof of concept tv series pilot episode (he actually wrote a blog about it here on Stage32) and then doing the same thing with another team for another tv series and also producing a couple of music videos. All of which was great.
But there are always down sides. Since there was not a lot of paid work this year we couldn't make rent and had to move out of our apartment and with lockdown in effect we haven't been able to find a new place which we probably couldn't afford anyway since rents have gone up in staid of down. Thank god for my parents who gave us safe harbor until the madness ends.
But as you said like with Stage 32 and also with life is that you get out of it what you put in. So I guess all the work that we've been putting in will eventually have to pay off.
Anyway nice to meet you! :)
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Thanks Leya, great to meet you too. Sounds like you've had to endure a bit last year too, that's amazing a sculptor and filmmaker. I hope things are looking up, all the best
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Ok just sent out a request to connect
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Hi, Ben Patrick Yates! Thanks for sharing your inspiring story with such honesty! I’m so happy you’re feeling much better and digging into your writing. I definitely wasn’t diving into Stage 32 in all the ways I could have until late 2020. Since then, I’ve submitted my script for industry reader coverage, watched a ton of webcasts and IG Lives and joined the Writers’ Room. What I’ve learned and the community I’ve built here in a short period of time is just amazing. I always look forward to our virtual meetings in the Writers’ Room and can’t imagine being without it now. I’m happy to know you’ve seen the light that is Stage 32 just like me! Happy writing!